Sightings – Page 57 – Sharon Friends of Conservation

Fisher – 2/13/09

Observer: Michael Tranavitch Observation Date: 2/13/09 Observation Time: 2:45 p.m. Observation Location: Pine Street, Sharon Common Name: Fisher Scientific Name: Martes pennanti Comments: Appeared in backyard near deck. The fisher is the second largest member of the weasel family found in Massachusetts; only the river otter is larger. Although many people call them “fisher cats,” the name is inappropriate. They are neither members of the feline […]

Bald Eagle – 1/19/09

Observer: Jeff Tatro Observation Date: 1/19/09 Observation Time: 4:00 p.m. Observation Location: Lake Massapoag shore, 100 yd SSE of Yacht Club Beach Common Name: Bald Eagle Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus Comments: Adult, big guy, plumage very clear. Perched 35 ft up in a tree, then took light toward Community Ctr. Positive ID! More Information: Boidnoise: Adult Bald Eagle Call

Pine Siskin – 1/11/09

Observer: Will Sweet Observation Date: 1/11/09 Observation Time: 10:00 a.m. Observation Location: Backyard bird feeder Common Name: Pine Siskin Scientific Name: Carduelis pinus Comments: There was a flock of 43 Pine Siskins on my thistle feeders. More Information: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”

Tufted Titmouse – 1/1/09

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 1/1/09 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway Common Name: Tufted Titmouse Scientific Name: Baeolophus bicolor Comments: This and the junco and wren photos were all taken with a Canon 50D and a Canon 500mm f4 lens from the comfort of my kitchen on Moose Hill Parkway. We have feeders that attract lots of birds who land on a nearby […]

Carolina Wren – 1/1/09

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 1/1/09 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway Common Name: Carolina Wren Scientific Name: Thryothorus ludovicianus Comments: This and the titmouse and junco photos were all taken with a Canon 50D and a Canon 500mm f4 lens from the comfort of my kitchen on Moose Hill Parkway. We have feeders that attract lots of birds who land on a nearby […]

Deer Mouse – 11/26/08

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 11/26/08 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Bluebird house in field near Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Deer Mouse Scientific Name: Peromyscus maniculatus Comments: Deer mice sometimes take up residence in bird houses. They can live up to five years in captivity but probably only live about a year in the wild. This shorter natural life span is primarily due […]

White-Tailed Deer – 11/26/08

Observer: Peter Higgins Observation Date: 11/26/08 & 11/30/08 Observation Time: 7:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm Common Name: White-Tailed Deer Scientific Name: Odocoileus virginianus Comments: Moose Hill Farm is a wonderful gift to the town, I get up early and see deer, turkeys, and coyotes on a regular basis. More Information: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology “Animal Diversity Web”

Barred Owl – 11/14/08

Observer: Randi Simons Observation Date: 11/14/08 Observation Time: Mid-afternoon Observation Location: Moose Hill Parkway, Mass. Audubon conservation land Common Name: Barred Owl Scientific Name: Strix varia Comments: This owl sat on a branch close to the road for an hour or more, not bothered by people watching close by or by chickadees constantly scolding. More Information: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”

Milkweed – 10/17/08

Observer: Peter Higgins Observation Date: 10/17/08 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (Trustees of Reservations) Common Name: Milkweed Scientific Name: Asclepias syriaca Comments: Milkweed is an important food source for butterflies, moths and other insect species. It has been decimated by the application of glyphosate herbicide (a.k.a. Roundup) on vast fields of corn and soybeans that have been genetically modified to tolerate […]

Praying Mantis – 10/8/08

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 10/8/08 Observation Time: 11:20 a.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Road backyard Common Name: Praying Mantis Scientific Name: Mantis religiosa Comments: Check out this enormous praying mantis I found in my raspberry patch today. It’s about 5 inches long. I wonder if it descended from the praying mantis egg cases we mail-ordered a few years ago to help control insect pests […]

American Eel – 8/25/08

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 8/25/08 Observation Time: 10:00 a.m. Observation Location: Beaver Brook near the outbound train station Common Name: American eel Scientific Name: Anguilla rostrata Comments: American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. The larval eels, called glass eels because they are transparent, drift with the Gulf Stream up the east coast. They eventually metmorphose into worm-sized black elvers, which swim […]

Downy Woodpecker – 8/6/09

Observer: Ilan Fisher Observation Date: 8/6/08 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: 66 N. Main Street Common Name: Downy Woodpecker Scientific Name: Picoides pubescens Comments: Just visiting in a tree in front of the house. More Information: All-Birds.com

Blue Flag Iris – 6/08/08

Observer: Peter Higgins Observation Date: 06/08/08 Observation Time: 6:55 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Blue Flag Iris Scientific Name: Iris versicolor Comments: This beautiful group of wild blue flag iris was growing in the field near the boardwalk. More Information: LakeForest.edu

Eastern Chipmunk – 6/8/08

Observer: Peter Higgins Observation Date: 6/8/08 Observation Time: 6:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm Common Name: Eastern Chipmunk Scientific Name: Tamias striatus More Information: Animal Diversity Web: Eastern Chipmunk

Wild Turkey – 6/8/08

Observer: Peter Higgins Observation Date: 6/8/08 Observation Time: 6:15 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm Common Name: Wild Turkey Scientific Name: Meleagris gallopavo Comments: This was my first venture to Moosehill Farm in the early hours and seeing this group of Tom Turkeys strutting their stuff got me hooked. Since that time I go up as often as possible. A week ago I stood quietly […]

Red-Shouldered Hawk – 5/15/08

Observer: Andrea & Herb Daroff Observation Date: 5/15/08 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Pilgrim Drive Common Name: Red-shouldered hawk Scientific Name: Buteo lineatus Comments: This young hawk settled in a branch not more than 20 feet from our deck. I was able to get a number of shots and since he moved around a bit before flying away, I was able to shoot from […]

Downy Woodpecker – 1/26/08

Observer: Rick Dumont Observation Date: 1/26/08 Observation Time: 4:15 p.m. Observation Location: Front yard Common Name: Downy Woodpecker Scientific Name: Picoides pubescens Comments: First the male showed up, then along came the female. The male has a moustache and red stripe while the female is clean-shaven and stripeless. More Information: All-Birds.com

Gray Tree Frog – 6/2/07

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/2/07 Observation Time: 10:10 a.m. Observation Location: Trustees of Reservations Moose Hill Farm Common Name: Gray Tree Frog Scientific Name: Hyla versicolor Comments: This gray tree frog was sitting motionless in the foliage along the dirt road leading through the woods to the big pasture. More Information: Learn what a gray tree frog call sounds like at: music of nature, so you […]

Autumn Olive – 11/6/06

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 11/6/06 Observation Time: 2:10 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Autumn Olive Scientific Name: Elaeagnus umbellata Comments: Autumn-olive is a hardy, prolific shrub that thrives in a variety of conditions, in part because it is capable of fixing nitrogen. Some varieties can produce up to 80 pounds (37 kilos) of bright red edible berries in a season, which ripen in October […]

Red eft – 4/2/05

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/2/05 Observation TIme: 10:00 p.m. Observation Location: crossing Moose Hill St. (near TTOR) Common Name: Red eft (juvenile terrestrial form of eastern newt) Scientific Name: Notophthalmus viridescens Comments: The eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is a common newt of eastern North America. It frequents small lakes, ponds, and streams or nearby wet forests. The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable […]

Yellow-spotted Salamander – 4/2/05

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 4/2/05 Observation Time: 9:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Street near Kendall Estate Common Name: Yellow Spotted Salamander Scientific Name: Ambystoma maculatum Comments: It’s best not to handle salamanders because the salts and oils on your skin don’t do amphibians any good (mea culpa!). To see a variety of frog and salamander species, walk down Moose Hill Street on the first rainy night after the snow melts in late […]

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